Walk 
7 nights
71 mls (km)
Croatia
Moderate 
Mar to Nov
£910
Enchanting walking trails in the natural beauty of the Istrian countryside.
- Experience stunning panoramic views from the summit of Mt. Učka
- Sample the local flavour with small wine and truffle producers
- Discover the beautiful, traditional villages of Istria
- Explore the magnificent walled town of Motovun
- Scenic walking in the Mirna River Valley
- Hum, the smallest town in the world
Why this walk?
While the west coast of Istria is steadily growing in popularity, the authentic culture and natural beauty of Istria’s countryside is still relatively underexplored, and with a strong network of walking trails this route is ideal for getting off the beaten track and discovering somewhere new on foot. Istria has more than a passing resemblance to its neighbour Italy across the Adriatic, and this is felt in the characteristic Mediterranean scenery, climate and cuisine as well as the fact that almost half of the population of some towns identify as ethnically Italian. The route ahead links a series of quaint Istrian towns and villages, along meadows and forest paths, mountain passes, valleys, rivers, vineyard terraces and even an old railway line that has now been converted into a dedicated walking and cycling trail.
The Path
From the hilltop town of Brtonigla, your route wends its way from the north-west of Istria east across the country to the coast at Lovran. Your journey takes you through a succession of picturesque hilltop towns and traditional Istrian villages, including Hum, a town that dates back to the middle ages and is recognised as the smallest of its kind in the world. The landscape is wild and rural, with farms and vineyards generally being the most built-up aspects of your route. You can expect a walk that takes you through forests, woodland, meadows and along riverbanks, as well as routes that cross paths with some stunning waterfalls. The end of the route joins a section leading up to the highest point of Istria at Mt Učka before the route descends to meet the Adriatic at Lovran.
The Accommodation
Waiting for you at the end of a day’s walk are the traditional country houses and small, personable hotels that make up the choice of places to stay in the Istrian countryside, an area well-known for its warm hospitality. In a region celebrated for the fine quality of its local produce, it should come as no surprise to find typical Istrian specialities to top off a day spent exploring the surrounding countryside. We handpick a variety of hotels and guesthouses dependent on: the area, availability, season and the feedback we receive from our walkers. Our rural accommodations are typically more akin to a traditional B&B experience, whereas you may find that the hotels we handpick in larger towns have amenities such as swimming pools, spas and saunas.
Our Landscapes & Flavours of Green Istria Itineraries
Buje to Lovran
Distance: 71 miles (114km)
CRO-IST1
7 Nights
from £850
- 7 nights’ accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis
- Luggage transfers
- Personal transfers where indicated in the programme as a standard arrangement
- Holiday briefing meeting with local representative on arrival evening
- Walk Pack, to include Road Book (route notes and maps)
- Access to a Travel APP with full holiday details/offline navigation
- Transfers not mentioned in the standard itinerary
- Packed lunches (own arrangements)
- Evening meals (own arrangements). Available in local restaurant or in-house.
- Travel to Buje area/from Lovran (airport transfers can be arranged if requested)
Buje: The nearest airports to fly into for the Istria walk are Pula Airport (80 km) and Trieste Airport (90 km).
Please note that your accommodation for the first 2 nights will be in the Buje area (Volpija village – 4 km or Kaldanjia 5 km) and not in the centre of Buje itself. If you are arriving by public transport to Buje a local taxi will be arranged for the last part of your journey to take you to your accommodation.
As transport links to the villages are extremely limited we suggest that you pre-book a private transfer directly from the airport to your first accommodation.
Airport transfers can be arranged on request from Pula and Trieste Airports as well as Ljubljana Airport (150km), Venice Airport (200km) and Zagreb Airport (300km)
Lovran: The nearest airports are Pula Airport (100km) and Trieste Airport (115km).
Airport transfers can be arranged on request to Pula and Trieste Airports as well as Ljubljana Airport (140km), Venice Airport (225km) and Zagreb Airport (190km)
The nearest train station to Lovran is in Matulji, Opatija-Matulji station (12km) which has direct train services to Ljubljana and to Rijeka (further changes for Zagreb). It is possible to take a train to Trieste Airport with changes at Pivka (Slovenia) and Trieste Centrale if it suits your flight schedule.
Croatia's national rail network is run by Hrvatske željeznice (HZ). To look up train times, you can use the Interrail timetable. Some Croatian cities (like Zadar) aren't mentioned in the Interrail timetable. Use the HZ timetable instead.
You can travel by bus directly from Lovran. For routes/information you may check https://getbybus.com/en/country/croatia . Rijeka is approximately 30 minutes away (direct journey), Pula bus terminal is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes (direct journey), Zagreb bus terminal is 3 hours 30 minutes (direct journey). Trieste and Ljubljana can be reached via Rijeka.
